Angelina Jolie’s PSA for World Refugee Day 2012: “No one chooses to be a refugee”

World Refugee Day is coming up next week – it’s June 20th, every year. And it’s become an annual thing for Angelina Jolie to make a video for the United Nations High Commission on Refugees to raise awareness on refugee issues. So it is this year as well – Angelina appears in the above video saying, “Every minute, eight people around the world are forced to flee their homes due to war and persecution… No one chooses to be a refugee… Today, 43 million people worldwide have been displaced. We remember them.

Angelina Jolie almost always participates in some of the global events for World Refugee Day too – the UNHCR sponsors panel discussions, speeches by high-profile UN personnel, awards ceremonies (awards for raising awareness about refugee crises, as well as awards to those people who actually save the lives of refugees) and other media-friendly events. I haven’t seen anything about where Angelina will be for this year’s events, but I’m sure some Angeloonie know-it-all will breeze in here and patronizingly tell me what I’m looking for. I anxiously await that information. In the meantime, you can show your support for the UNHCR and Angelina by going here.

Photos of Angelina in Ecuador in April, courtesy of WENN, screen caps.

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82 Responses to “Angelina Jolie’s PSA for World Refugee Day 2012: “No one chooses to be a refugee””

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  1. Bite me aka aniston says:

    Oh La Jolie face is looking fuller

    • Bradley says:

      Fillers and botox. The most important things when you do psa about refugees.

      • gigi says:

        And I suppose you’re out in the desert somewhere handing out bread and soup to the refugees, right?

      • EmmaV1 says:

        She looks “better” because it’s an close up and fuzzy picture/video of her.

        Jolie has the most zoomed in and taken at close range pictures of any celebrity – anyone would look older and worse for wear.

        Case in point – we think people like Demi, Jennifer, and Julia have found the fountain of youth, but close ups show they look their age

    • Maguita says:

      Lord, may I just be honest here and say, on another loon thread:

      Even if this is a gossip site, even we can be, and are allowed on this site, to be really B-TCHY, aren’t certain things supposed to be sacred?

      Have you not read K’s post, understood the message is about people, children, toddlers, living in absolute misery, and constant fear, because of misplaced believes in unnecessary wars?

      Show some respect.

    • Evyn says:

      I am starting to think she is preggers again.

  2. toto says:

    what a face and what a case!!!

    • corny says:

      agreed, that’s dedication but does it matter what she looks like while she’s doing it? I can’t imagine how I would look in that situation…that is if I drank enough vodka to get me there in the first place! kudos to angelina!

  3. lisa says:

    I love that she does this. As a loon I have to say I have not heard anything. I do know she has started work on Maleficent so doubt if she will be at any event. But that has happened before.

    But then again who knows until she shows up or not. But I will say I admire her dedication to this cause and the people that are displaced.

  4. Dorothy#1 says:

    Love this side of her!!

  5. beyonce's bump says:

    SAY what you what about her motivations behind why she does what she does OR even snark on her personal sh*t, BUT THIS WOMAN IS IT when it comes to being a global philanthropist and ambassador, this woman work and what she has done, leaves me INSPIRED and just optimistic about this world. I LOVE ANGIE FOR WHAT SHE DOES to make the world a better place.

    • Rosalee says:

      yes, she raises awareness – since few on this site would pay attention to poverty issues unless she was posted on this site. There are thousands of people who work for NGOs 24/7 and each one has lived in the refugee camps to ensure the safety and security of the individuals who are fleeing from civil war or economic crisis nitefloods/famine, etc. Doctors without Borders – the Mennonite Central Committee, Red Cross etc. they recognize everyday is refugee day.

    • Navy Blue says:

      She’s not it. She’s just a famous face who flies in on her private planes with her photographers occasionally to get photo ops. Admire the people who truly dedicate their lives to these causes and get no recognition There are celebrities who just as much or more than Angelina. It’s a crime that people act as if this woman’s the only one. She just has the most photos and headlines.

      • Original Lucy says:

        Thats the whole point…Nobody can bring attention to these problems like Angie, BECAUSE she is photographed so much…No one is saying other people, celebs and non-celebs, don’t work as hard or harder for causes…however, the way some people can’t even give Angie any kudos for trying to help is rediculous!

      • Emma - the JP lover says:

        If she’s on a U.N. mission did she really fly there in ‘her own’ plane??

  6. Mandy says:

    What a wonderfull cause in our mundaine daiy life we tend to forget there are people out there in dire need of good quality of life, and require any sort of help ant attention to their flights. I wish more people would highlight their flights God bless you Angelina.

  7. Aud says:

    I still think she has had work done so as to resemble her mother more than her father. Her face looks completely different to what it looked like five years ago.

    • JN says:

      OMG…Seriously?????

      Ever think she is looking more like her mother simply because they share GENES?

      Faces change with age, lose fat etc.
      She looks to me pretty much the same & just as beautiful. Same nose, lips, eyes….where exactly do you think she has had work done?

      Go back to female first where you belong.

      • Aud says:

        Yes they do share genes, but you don’t transform into you’re parent in your late thirties practically overnight, or within a five to ten years – without something that’s been done.
        It’s quite obvious that she has had a nose job. Photographs that depict scars behind her hears also indicate some cosmetic surgery as well.

        I’m not saying she looks unattractive, I’m just making an observation.

    • mln76 says:

      I’m sorry but that really makes no sense. MOST women start resembling their mothers more as they age.
      For the record I still see alot of Jon Voight in her face too..

      • Aud says:

        And you have evidence to back that up right? What you’re saying is quite anecdotal. I don’t resemble my mother as I age. Neither do my cousins [resemble their mothers].
        If you gather all the images of Angelina within a five year period, you’ll see distinct differences in her face and they aren’t due to ‘age’ [I don’t see any wrinkles or age spots or anything age related, as you see in Cameron Diaz, for example].

      • mln76 says:

        The changes in Angie’s face all correspond to the weight loss after her pregnancies. Her face is thinner surgical intervention botox/fillers would have the opposite effect. Cammy Diaz (aside from being a few years older than Angelina) is an admitted sun lover and her skin shows signs of sun damage. Angie is constantly getting mocked for wearing huge hats and the like in the sun and being too pale maybe that’s why her skin shows no signs of sun damage.

        As for the other crap you and your family don’t look like your mothers as you age. Angelina looks more and more like hers. Those two fact have nothing to do with the other. It’s still very common for women to look like their mothers as they get older because they share the same DNA. You’ve chosen to use the fact that Angie is one of those women as a smoking gun and it makes you sound out there.

      • ashendust says:

        I honestly look more and more like my mother as I age. As a child, teen, and young adult I looked like a mini version of my maternal grandmother, being that she was a redhead w/freckles and my mom is olive complected and has black hair. But as I’ve gotten older my hair has darkened and except for in the summer my freckles have faded. I definitely look more like my mother now than when I was younger…

    • spinner says:

      @ Aud

      I agree. She really does look different. She’s had some work done. I think she looked better before the procedures & weight loss. She used to look fresh & healthy.

    • sarahtonin says:

      I think she might’ve had a little nose job years back when she first started, but I don’t think she’s trying to look like anyone in particular.

    • Emma - the JP lover says:

      @Aud …

      Angie looked just like her mother ‘before’ she even reached the age of 30. That photo someone suggested you Google of Angie and her mother was taken a couple of years before Marcheline died. In the photo they’re both laughing and I swear they could be twins.

      Google early pictures of Marcheline Bertrand and make an ‘informed’ opinion. Angie actually got her lips from her Mom, not her Dad.

  8. Katherine says:

    The profile of UNHCR has risen dramatically since Jolie has been involved. The UN has acknowledged that donations to it increase greatly following any news of her activities.

    That alone is an important factor. But more than that is the fact that Jolie has helped to lobby the US government and Congress as well as other countries to increase their commitment to refugees both in money and in policies that make a more welcoming atmosphere for refugees as well as provide a safe haven for them.

    I am very impressed with Jolie’s initiative – Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) – which provides legal assistance to juveniles facing immigration action in the US. She conceived it, co-founded it and funded it. It continues to enlist more and more volunteer lawyers around the country to provide pro bono work to these vulnerable refugees. And this is just a small part of her work.

    It is good to be reminded of those whose lives do not consist of “getting ready for summer.”

    Kudos to Jolie for her efforts and achievements all these years

  9. Liv says:

    I always find it weird when celebritys visit certain areas and they wear rubber boots while the local people wear normal shoes or flip-flops. I will never forget when Madonna showed up in Malawi wearing military stuff!

    (In this case it could possibly be they walked on a field or stuff, but in general it’s weird 😉 )

    • lisa says:

      Well the native people are use to that environment. or maybe they don’t have boots.

      the other people in the picture are wearing rubber boots too. They are not celebrities.

    • lower-case deb says:

      i guess, in this case, the aid workers gave the pair for her to wear (since that lady aid worker in white t-shirt is wearing a pair too).

      but i remember seeing a set of pictures of her visit in pakistan, and she’s wearing sandals like the rest of the people. in one picture, she’s even climbing a tall refugee truck with those sandals on.

      i’m not sure about the other times. but i think that she at least wear something that is comparable to what field workers wear and not try to stick out so much.

      i seem to remember that she was wearing flipflops when she was interviewed in namibia, but that’s probably because she’s heavily pregnant and it’s more comfortable with flat footwear. i might be having a faulty memory though.

    • Trek Girl says:

      Sometimes it is necessary for people who are not from that area to wear heavier footwear as there are things in that enviroment that might make them sick. One must remember that there are parasites and all different kinds of organisms on the ground that might not have much of an affect on the people who live there, but will affect visitors.
      They are also travelling through different areas, and heavier footwear is best, you know, just to cover as many eventualities as possible.

  10. sunmoonstars says:

    She looks like death and I can tell you that she’s hitting that smack HARD. It’s the waxy, clammy skin and her eyes just have that look.

    It would also be quite convenient for her being an “Ambassador” or whatever she is, to fly into those countries and load her private plane up with the good stuff. You think Customs is going to mess with her, ESPECIALLY if the government knows about it, and/or some of those drugs are going to high ranking people?

    I know people love Brangelina and I don’t hate them, but come on, people! So IMO, all this “charity work” is just a front that makes her look good. It’s all smoke and mirrors with this couple, and I honestly cannot believe people are snowed by this PR put-on, just because they’re “good-looking”.

    Besides, this whole charity work thing is a scam, half the money never even gets there and the other half is seized by local warlords. Seeing her posing for pictures where she puts on her “empathetic face” and gazes beatifically at the poor, downtrodden refugees just makes me laugh, it’s so transparently a grab for attention and good PR. Like I said, I don’t hate her but I see right through her BS. Oh and the insane devotion and worship by her fans is downright terrifying and extremely off-putting. All because she’s got a pretty face.

    • saj says:

      Wow….Crazy people still exist. And you DO hate her. It is scary how much you do.

      1. Angelina looks fine. Her skin is flawless, not clammy/waxy.

      2. Angelina always flies commercial on her UNHCR trips! Not private.

      3. PR??? She has nothing to promote at all. She has no films going out for a long time.

      If she wanted PR then she could show up at every charity red carpet. Instead she uses her own free time to make trips to visit refugees. More than 10 years devotion is amazing. If you don’t truly care you do not stick with something this long.

    • Toot says:

      So much bitterness. I don’t worship her or anyone. I just like her.

      • Linda says:

        I agree. I like her but not obsess with her. I wasn’t a fan before. Not until she adopted Maddox and turn her life around. Yes, she was a wild child and done some crazy shiz but she grew up and turn her life around. Who hasn’t done some crazy shiz when they are young. I’ve seen women who have done worse shiz than Angie did. The only difference is that they are not in public eyes. Everyone deserves a 2nd chance. She did admit that she was self destructive and Madd saved her life. Also, what has she done that’s so horrible. She didn’t kill anyone or molest a child, trash a hotel or pass out drunk in a car or shave her head. She was wild and was doing things to herself, not to anyone.

      • Camille (The original) says:

        I agree with both of your comments.

    • saj says:

      You are proof of how crazy Aniston’s fans really are.

      The theories and stories you all create at femalefirst are so sad and psychotic.

    • casey says:

      what a bitter person.if i know you are just dying of envy with this wonderful woman.no one can put this woman down.she is such a great person and she will always be blessed as you continue to be miserable.

    • Katherine says:

      So much defamation in so little space. As if the woman couldn’t hide physical effects of the things you accuse her of. The willingness to just state things as facts without any foundation is mind boggling.

      People such as you describe do not attract the respect of world leaders and people of significance in the humanitarian field. They just don’t.

    • alw says:

      sunmoonstar-i guess she sure be smiling or giggling while filming.

    • lisa says:

      Well aren’t you special.. NOT

      You call her fans crazy. Honey read your comment carefully then call someone to get some help. You are obviously not a fan so why are you here. Why are you following Angie’s every move. yeah see you need some help.

      and her fans don’t worship her or Brad. We like them. We are loyal and supportive. I guess that really is what pisses you and other like you. We are always fans and vocal about it.

      and..Whatever drug Angie is using she needs to start selling that shit because she is handling all her business very well. And helping others to boot. Don’t ever recall her arrested or in rehab. No mugshots in her past or jail. She has a reputation of professionalism on set, on time, never late, no diva behavior. People that have worked with her have never said a negative thing, In fact she works with people over and over again in her movies. Well spoken and intelligent.
      so you need to get you fact straight.

      • Rhea says:

        Lisa, I am thinking quite the same.

        People who don’t like her all said that her charities only for publicitiy. That the new Angelina is fake.

        Now this make me shaking my head. When people read that Lohan drove drunk or whatever, all of them would said that she needs to stop taking drugs, grow up and change her life for a better one otherwise she would be a danger to herself (and the people around her).

        But when Jolie managed to stop her wild days and doing something useful to other, people would scream at her as only looking for a good publicity??
        That means when people said they wish Lohan would stop her crazy antics, they actually prefer she stays wild and end up miserable (or worse: dead) so they could say “poor girl…she used to have such a bright future..” ????

        Do they call Jolie a fake because she doesn’t end up in destructible path that most of young people who used drugs and wild have?

        I just don’t see why some people hell bent saying all of her charities are fake? She could just come to the charity ball and get a good publicity out of that too, you know. We don’t know behind the door they might donate to some other cause that doesn’t require extreme publicity, with quietly. So the judgement that some people give to her when she’s a stranger for those people, is just plain confusing.

    • Dragon says:

      A couple of days ago I tried to figure out how many movies with AJ I have seen and it turned out to be only one movie, the first Lara Croft. And I didn’t go to a cinema to see it, I waited for it to be shown on TV. I was always sort of taken aback, when I read that people consider her to be beautiful, cause I saw her as being ugly. I didn’t like that Lara Croft film either. Terrible acting.

      I then saw a very long interview with her and I liked her voice and her laughing and I thought, she is quite nice. I started to admire her for her courage to talk about the autoaggression and so on. So my opinion about her changed a little bit.

      When making the film “The land of blood and honey” she stated in an interview that she wanted to understand the reasons why this war happened. Now I think she is just wonderful, very beautiful and I really love her. 🙂

      Thank you Angelina, for the things you do!

    • Bird says:

      ITA with everything. And the first thing I thought when I saw these pictures was how completely drugged up she looks.

    • sullivan says:

      Sun,moon etc – you’re the one trippin’.

  11. Carlotta Love says:

    AJ says no one chooses to be a refugee. Tom Petty says you don’t have to live like a refugee, thereby implying a choice. Damn, what a conundrum.

  12. mln76 says:

    She looks beautiful and even more important the message is so profound.

    Love her.

  13. Bradley says:

    Blah blah blah who cares about angelina and her publicity stunts.

    • Ola says:

      How is this a publicity stunt? She really gains nothing from this. She is not promoting any films & won’t be for a while.

      Angelina has been working with refugees for more than 10 years. If she did not care she would have stopped a long time ago.

      • Bradley says:

        Yeah yeah yeah “10 years work with refugees” if you say so. I’d say 10 years of free publicity you can’t buy. Few trips to third world countries with paparazzi, private jet, LV luggage, nice dinner in Four Seasons with corrupted officials. It’s hard work and I’m sure all these poor people are so greatful that they could shake her bony hand. She’s ignorant nothing more and doesn’t give a shit about refugees.

      • Linda says:

        I know you don’t like her which is fine. You are allow your opinion but don’t just blah if you don’t know shiz. Angie has been doing humanitarian work before she met brad. you probably miss the 1st few years when she secretly doing the work. if she was doing it for publicity, she might as well walk the red carpet in designer clothes & heels like most other celebs do. Why bother andangering herself in war zone & go to disease infested countries? Wouldn’t it be better to get publicity walking the RC when tons of photographers taking your pictures. Or go on national tv like Oprah who was watched by millions. Someone did that when she donated $250,000 to charity. Do you want me to mention her name?

    • Mandy says:

      @Bradley the Refugees care my dear.its unfortunate that ignorant people like your self cannot get over the fact about the REAL ISSUES in this world than hating on the person who is passing the message just becuase Angelina or whoever mayit be are making awarness of the their flights. Please go and Vistt the UNHCR website to get a better understanding of these issues, it will make you think twice next time , about the people that are in these destute state.God Bless

    • Jo says:

      Well Bradley, aka Jen Aniston. You sure are a piece of work. Thanks for showing us how hateful & shallow Jen’s fans are.

      FYI, Angelina pays her own way every time. You won’t believe that, but she does. I believe she does care but she sure does not care about you.

      You are the ignorant one & I have wasted too much time on you.

    • sarahtonin says:

      I understand your point, Bradley. This has worked very well to improve her image. But UNHCR benefits equally from it as well. She can get the story out to more people than they can. Albeit, the type of people who only read the entertainment section of the newspaper, because the rest of us know about refugees. (But that demographic could be the majority these days, so there’s that).

      The problem is that most of her audience wouldn’t care enough to actually do anything, and those that are influenced by celebs are probably saving up to buy a pair of shoes they saw her wearing and can’t afford to donate a cent. But she does raise money, so someone out there is listening and she’s setting a far better example than most other actors. So it is a win/win situation for both parties in the end, I guess.

  14. casey says:

    great job Miss Angelina.you are such an inspiration.how can i not admire you more.

  15. casey says:

    omg, what a beautiful face.one can be hypnotized by her beauty.and a lot of people say she is more gorgeous in person.classic beauty.

  16. Sunny says:

    This is the prettiest she has looked for awhile.Its almost a crime how beautiful her face is.

  17. Kericho says:

    she’s really committed to this… VERY Impressive for a celeb!

  18. Navy Blue says:

    Okay we know there’s problems. But you’re not making a message clear enough and loud enough to tell people what to do about it. With no solution, this is just a photo op. The aUN just uses her for photo ops, but we never hear about what difference this makes. Tell people what to do!

    • sarahtonin says:

      I agree with you. This UNHCR gig has done nothing for anyone except improve the image of Jolie and the UN.

      • lisa says:

        Wow you have been very busy. You have traveled around the world and spoken to every person the UNHCR says they helped and they all told you that the UNHCR has done nothing for them.

        you should rest. I can’t imagine how tired you are.

      • sarahtonin says:

        I love it when people get all pissy on the internet about someone’s opinion. There’s a lot of angry housewives here, isn’t there?

        For the record, I was agreeing that we need to be thinking about solutions, rather than just hearing about it from celebs or being asked for money. She has the opportunity to go to these places and to tell people about it. So tell us what we should be doing?

        I bet to start it would be about acting locally, respecting and caring for one another and doing something for each other instead of being arseholes and picking fights on the internet, don’t you think?

      • Rhea says:

        @Sarahtonin :If I’m not mistaken when Jolie tried to gave her opinion in what we should do (I really do forgot the link but you might be able to google it), a lot of people still attacked her for that by saying she’s only a celebrity without real knowledge regarding the problem.

        As for me, I took her words as a reminder. There’s a people out there who needs a help. We could donate to help the cause or getting involved more by being a volunteer. We could find out how to help the cause simply by internet or contacting the organization itself to find more information.

        My husband is a refugee. He and all other people from his country try hard just to remind other people that the condition over there is really bad. So, this video might seems like nothing. But if the people hear about it, they will not forget about it. They would try to help in many ways.
        And if the right people hear it, who knows that those people might be a able to do something to help/forced the government to find a permanent solution in the future.

      • sarahtonin says:

        @Rhea
        I stand corrected. I didn’t know she made suggestions. I can imagine people shot her down for being just another dumb actor. I accept that sometimes the only valid currency they have for their pet causes is their celebrity. It’s better than nothing, I guess.

        The fact is that it’s incredibly complicated and there are no easy solutions until we fundamentally change our values to become unselfish and start really caring about each other, valuing life equally. Instead we are encouraged to go in the opposite direction in the pursuit of wealth and fame, at the expense of anyone who gets in our way. Based on that you could argue that celebrities are actually part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.

        As an Australian, I’m ashamed that we are so hard on refugees, particularly when we are involved in wars that contribute to them being in that position. We pluck them off leaky boats, lock them up and let them rot in prison until they go insane. Some we send back home to get murdered. I work in emergency services and do what I can for the community, I donate to some causes but I should try to do more for people overseas. I have tried to muster more support, but it’s hard when no one is interested in hearing any of it. Apart from going into politics myself to fight for policy change, I don’t know what else I can do. A lot of people feel this way, I’m sure. Hence my point that we need good suggestions.

      • lower-case deb says:

        i think for such a short space of time, and something that has to reach a wide audience, i agree with her invitation to “remember the refugees”. It sounds generic, i guess, open to so many interpretations.

        i seem to remember that in longer duration interviews angelina jolie would drop hints/offer some solutions (some are generic contact your local representative, find out what you can etc), and use her own experience as an example (“i heard about the refugees and i tried to find books, people to talk to, reach out, etc”). but then again, for everything she said, there’s an almost equal amount of “shut up ya actressy-person”

        i work with internally displaced people especially children in my country, more disaster victims, than human conflict victims though. different victims from different areas need different handling, and worse still when they’re victims of multiple disasters (they hadn’t recovered from 1 trauma, another trauma happens, that sort of thing). mostly i’m doing kid partnership, kinda like the buddy system i guess. help them grow, go to school, open up, work through their trauma, etc.

        my kids are learning about what they can help too, now that they’re a bit older. they don’t have the same passion as i do (one is sports, which i’m crap at, and one is aspiring to be a lawyer, which i can’t stand haha, probably because of my shizzy divorce lawyer), so that’s what me and my family are asking them: what can you do to help and not to think about monetary donation as the be all and all.

        I know we’re in the middle of a global crisis, and sometimes we’re caught up in our own lives or whatever problem-du-jour offered up by the media.

        so i guess, i can’t fault jolie too much for coming off so generic. i guess it’s sort of an invitation: to research what each of us, with our different skillsets can do to help our community more. in the internet age, it’s easier to find out about different organizations and causes we can help.

        but, as most other groundworkers i know would agree (haha, anyway, me! since i’m selfish), i like to invite anyone to spend time with us 🙂 one of my friends even said: we’re strapped for cash, but rather than money, we need a volunteer!

        oops. i’ve rambled now, and maybe it won’t make much sense. (sleepdeprived_plus_sugarhigh! yay!)

      • sarahtonin says:

        @lower-case deb

        I think that is great that you are teaching your children to appreciate what they have and help those less fortunate. Hearing there are still some people like you out there gives me hope that all is not lost. I have been finding humanity’s situation as a whole quite depressing of late, particularly the global political outlook. The more I learn the more helpless I feel, and the less people care and allow themselves to be distracted, the more frustrated I get. It’s nice to come across those who are still trying to make a difference.

        Perhaps your law studying kid might end up a human rights attorney rather than go into family law? If not, at the least s/he could do pro bono work for people in need in your community, volunteer at legal aid etc. I’m sure their skills would be in demand, no matter which direction they go in.

        I wouldn’t be too concerned that they aren’t as passionate as you are yet. I wasn’t interested in doing much else except hang out with my friends and have fun when I was in school either, despite having a strong conscience. You’ve set good ground work for them to grow into considerate and socially aware adults, which is a world of difference than many other parents who are currently raising little sociopaths.

        If I lived in USA, I’d want to get involved in organising those pop-up medical clinics in halls and sports centres where doctors, nurses, dentists etc dedicate their days off to provide free health care to people in low socio-economic areas hit by the GFC. I heard that people had lost their jobs and houses and because of the long waiting lists for trailers and emergency accommodation, they are camping in tent cities in the forest. The forest, in America! I fear a health crisis is looming, particularly among this group of people, who now can’t even afford to feed their kids, let alone give them adequate medical care. It disgusts me that people could be living like 3rd world refugees in USA and be too poor to get medicine.

        We are so lucky here. Although we feel the effects of the global recession, (eg our superannuation, largely tied up in the stock market, is haemorrhaging millions daily), the mining industry insulated our economy so we are in relatively good form. Regardless, there is always free medical care for anyone in need, at least. Although, we’d face the same accommodation crisis if we had similar numbers of people suddenly jobless and homeless, like USA has faced. Still, there are plenty of people in need of assistance here that can be helped in other ways, even if it’s just a friend to have a coffee with and a chat to give them support while they get back on their feet.

        Every cause needs money but I agree with you that volunteering can help just as much, if not more. Most people can donate a bit of time, if not cash. At least 100% of that goes directly to the people who need it, rather than 80% of a monetary donation disappearing in administration costs!

        So anyway, I’ve rambled on but without trying to sound patronising, good on you for what you and your family are doing. I sincerely commend you for trying to make a difference.

  19. Mara says:

    She is beautiful outside and inside ,it is hard to live as a refuge i really respect her for what she is doing for the refuges and they give a lot of money for those in need .

  20. MSat says:

    In the 90s, we took in a family who fled from Bosnia. Their son was seriously injured by a land mine and they came to the New England area for medical treatment. Let me tell you, it’s a humbling thing to see an entire family displaced without a penny to their names, nothing but the clothes on their backs, who don’t have a home to go back to. It really puts perspective on what you have and what you think you don’t have.

    • Maguita says:

      Lovely beautiful people. Thank you!

    • Karma says:

      What a lovely story. To be able to help an entire family during such turmoil in their lives and others must have been very rewarding.

      True heroes.

  21. NeoCleo says:

    She’s not one of my favorite actresses but I really admire her work as an ambassador for the less fortunate in this world. This is not a gig you can phone in–it’s difficult and time-consuming–she really must be very passionate about it.

  22. I will always admire Jolie for being a light for those in darkness.

  23. Ramie says:

    I miss the old Angie…when she was wild & crazy, self-absorbed, & child-free!!!

  24. alw says:

    when she stated the first time she went on a mission she saw a “sea of human misery” that made me do research about her. i think the comments that people make about her remind me of high school,remember when the quarterback fell in love with the nonpopular weird girl,or as the old popular girls said at their 20 years class reunion,’fell inlove,she stole the homecoming queen boyfriend” yes that’s how it sound,so elementary. get a life,she got one. she does what she want to do,no matter what is said about her. she stated,’that’s just people with their own opinon.

  25. Karma says:

    It’s a good video and she strikes the perfect tone. They are lucky to have her as a spokesperson.

    And yes, I am a fan of hers. But I still don’t understand why someone’s charity work is a reason to hate on them. Seems like a waste of time to hate on good intentions.

  26. Sugar says:

    she grew up to become a beautiful human being on the inside. she has opened her heart & home(s) to 3 beautiful children from other countries and is their mommy. she is following her convictions & isn’t falling into the Hollywood abyss. she does use her name to further awareness-what’s to hate. She is genuine. I believe that what she has seen in her travels to these war torn countries has truly impacted her and there isn’t a shallow bone in her body. I’m not a crazed fan I just happen to like who she grew up to be.

  27. Sal says:

    Not a fan of her movies but I like that she actually puts her time and money where her mouth is and shows true commitment on the ground. She could be jetting the world, tanning, laying on beaches, papping herself with her bf but instead she is doing something valuable, modest and worthwhile. That says a lot for her as a person. In a sea of trashy bimbos who flaunt their latest stolen boyfriends walking around carrying water bottles and do nothing for charities or anyone else, Angelina is a great role model and someone I would feel proud and honored to have my daughter look up to and have as a role model.